Training When Injured - Revisited

UFC 84 was a great card. I loved Silva's match a lot, especially when he was holding Jardine down by the throat in a "where's my money" posture. Awesome. I didn't expect the match to end so soon. I did think it was going to be an exciting stand up fight, but thought Jardine would land some solid blows. He didn't even get to turn on the entire fight! BJ's fight. I guess no one was surprised. I was pretty shocked that only 55% of the people who voted in, thought BJ was going to win. I was expecting much more votes for BJ. Machida, great strategy and continues his winning streak. (For those of you who may not remember, Machida beat BJ in Japan in 2005. Of course, he outweighed BJ by a ton back then and BJ did very well, taking the match all the way to a decision.) Anyway, this weekend should be good, too. Uriah, Jens, Munoz...good fights.

So I received an email from a blog reader who was asking about training while injured, and I thought I'd go into more detail in my answer. I touched up on this subject before, but here's another go.

We all know how it feels to get injured. It sucks. Besides the pain, injuries prevent us from training. Knowing how to train around injuries is an important part of getting better at any sport. For minor injuries, a little bit of ice, some rest, tape and/or braces, and easing back into training often do the trick. However, major injuries are more tricky.

Major injuries do not go away quickly and it's important to not let an injury get worse. Hence, you have to be very smart about how you train, if you are even capable of doing anything physical. For hand, arm and shoulder injuries, for example, you probably won't be able to strike effectively, but you might be able to grapple lightly if you tuck your arm into your belt and work your open guard using just your legs and one arm. If your opponent passes your guard then stop; let your opponent go back into your guard; and then start again. I've done this countless times when I've jacked up my arms in the past, and it helped me really improve my open guard game.

Athletes are stubborn and usually train despite injuries. Smart athletes, however, will train smart when their injured and know how to control their training sessions. Here are some things to keep in mind if you plan to train while healing an injury:

• Only roll or strike lightly. I think any takedowns are a bad idea when injured.
• Roll or spar with people who are more advanced and know how to control their power, speed, etc. Stay away from beginners who can injure you.
• Avoid positions that will place your injured body part in dangerous situations. (e.g. If you have a shoulder injury, don't even bother resisting when someone tries to go for an american/figure four lock on your arm--immediately tap).
• Tap right away if you even think you are near a position where your injured body part will be affected
  

When you're recovering from an injury, assuming it's not a lower body injurey, think about doing a lot of cardio/conditioning. You can even try to do some light weight training sessions to keep your body moving so you don't get "soft." Lastly, nuture your mind. Watch a lot of training tapes, competitions, read books. There's still a lot you can do while you're injured. (I'm going through it right now--my shoulder.)

If you keep up with a similar program while you're injured, when you've recovered, you'll still be in the game mentally and ought to still have decent conditioning. Hope this helps.

Tags: injuries, training, mixed martial arts, brazilian jiu jitsu

Training for Peak Performance During Competition

How many of you believe that the best way to peak for a competition is to train hard for 6 weeks, more or less, and then completely stop training a few days before the competition? I'd say 95% of you have learned and adopted this method without bothering to question it. I'll go out on a limb and say that the people who taught you to do this, also probably never questioned the individuals that taught them. "Everyone" said to do it, so "everyone" did it. Does it work? Yes, it can help people peak at the right time. Is it the best method? Not necessarily. Also, if you've never tried a different method, you have absolutely no idea if it is the best method for you. Well, here's some food for thought.

Some time in 2002/2003, I learned a "new" method of peaking. Many of the people who I've told about this method, and shared the details with, have never heard of it (if they did hear of it, they never tried it and had very little details about the method). This technique is used by some of the world's best athletes (e.g. mixed martial artists, Olympic athletes, professional boxers, etc.) Who knows? Maybe it's one of their "secrets." Here's the gist. . .

Let's say you have a competition that is two weeks away (14 days). Most people would keep training hard until the 10th or 11th day. The rest of the days would be for rest to prepare for day 14. Now, let's take a different approach to training. Instead of training hard until the 10th or 11th day, certain athletes would stop training hard on the 7th day. From the 8th to the 11th day, these athletes would have complete rest. No athletic activity whatsoever. On the 12th day, a light intensity workout would be on the agenda. On the 13th day, the athlete would train at no more than 50% intensity. The 14th day, it would be "game time."

The method is rooted on the principle of tapering up as competition day approaches. It also considers the mental aspect of training/over-training--in a nutshell, athletes are more driven when they are fully rested, physically and mentally.

There are more details to this training method and it would take me a short book to convey the details and various timing schemes. I wanted to give you some insight into this training method to open some eyes to different methods. Again, if you have never tried a different method, how do you know what will work best for you? Keep in mind, this is a proven method used by world class athletes. It's the same technique I've adopted in the past as well.

I predict that after reading this, the majority of you who plan to compete will go on to experiment with this . Awesome. Please do. Take off your blinders and realize that everything evolves, even methods for peaking. Play with the principles and see how it works out for you.

Tags: tapering, peaking, competition, performance, training

A Lot of Conditioning and Endurance Training, But You Still Get Tired. Why?

Great! So I see that my mobile blogging worked. Now I can write short entries and send in pics even when I'm away from my laptop. I probably will take more pics now throughout the day and add them to the blog.

To all the blog visitors, thanks for dropping by and reading regularly. I re-read a few of my posts earlier and realized that I sometimes mix up words and have typos here and there. I write my blog entries on the fly (i.e. quickly in between classes, when I'm taking a break from working, and/or late when I'm sleepy). I don't go back and re-read my posts and check for mistakes. So, forgive me if I don't make sense sometimes because of any mistakes in spelling/wording, etc. None of the typos were so bad that you couldn't understand what I was trying to say. I don't suspect it will ever get that bad.

I've wrote a number of posts dealing with developing athletes' physical attributes, such as intensity, power and strength, and conditioning. I wanted to change things up a bit and hopefully get some of you thinking about your training from a different angle.

If you've been training in the martial arts for a long time, especially if you compete, you probably have worked hard to improve your cardio. However, you've probably experienced the situation where you wonder why you get so tired quickly despite the fact that you train your cardio religiously. How many of you feel this way? You run a lot (sprints and long runs), you do a lot of pad work, you spar for hours; yet, you seem to get tired easily. What's the reason?

I believe most endurance problems stem from a lack of condition or improper training methods. Nonetheless, there is another reason that people tend to overlook. You might lack technical knowledge and strategy--in other words, you might need to develop more skill.

I've taught a number of great athletes--people who were hardcore wrestlers, runners, boxers, etc.--but when they spar MMA or BJJ for the first few times (maybe even longer), they remark that they've never been so tired or that they are gassing too soon. But why? These people have great endurance. Yes, they do; but they lacked "know-how." If you are not as technically skilled as your opponent, do not have solid strategies to make an opponent play your game, or cannot adapt well to changing situations, you will fall back on your physical attributes. You'll have to use more speed and power. Basically, you will use up a lot more energy than you need or want.

Let's take a hypothetical example. Say you are in a MMA match and you drive a person against the cage or the ropes. Great, you are in a pretty good position and situation. But, what do you do now? A skilled professional fighter will have an entire game plan just for that position/situation. The fighter will have a lot of techniques to go to, will understand different strategies he/she can use, and will be able to adapt to his opponent's different reactions because the fighter is "skilled" in the area of taking down his opponent against the ropes/cage. The professional fighter will be able to use his energy efficiently and effectively.

In contrast, take a fighter who may have great conditioning, but lacks "know how." What do you think is going to happen? You guessed right. He/she is going to get tired pretty quick. Although the fighter may be in a better position, if the person doesn't know what to do, there will be a lot of wasted movement. Likewise, because the person is not skilled in the position, he/she will constantly worry and mentally tire themselves out, trying to figure out what to do next or how to react. It happens all the time.

Proper technique, strategy development, and skill development go a long way. Combined with great conditioning, an athlete can go places. If you lack one though, it's a weakness that can be exploited.

If you're tiring easily these days, don't just tell yourself you have to do more conditioning. The problem may be rooted somewhere else. Think about improving your technique.

Tags: technique, training, conditioning, mixed martial arts, brazilian jiu jitsu

Heading to Chicago (April 25 to 28)

I confirmed my trip to Chicago today. I'll be heading there on April 25 to visit my brother, Mark, and conduct a seminar for New Breed Chicago students. I haven't been in Chicago for about two years, so it will be nice to see how things are going over there. Since the last time I was there, New Breed Chicago changed locations and has grown. For New Breed Chicago members who read this blog, check with my brother Mark for more details. The exact subject matter has not been decided yet, but will be soon.

I did some MMA training today and helped prepare a team mate who's fighting in May. The event uses a cage so we got inside the octagon and sparred several rounds. For those of you who train in the Philippines, you might only have access to traditional boxing rings. So, if you are going to be fighting in a cage event, make sure you consider the differences. There are a number of pros and cons that you should be aware of. If you don't have access to a training cage, a good substitute would be a padded wall (although a cage would have some "give," unlike a wall).

The past few days, I've been thinking about power and intensity in training and competition. Training in BJJ since the 90s, I've observed how many Brazilian jiu jitsu stylists frown upon people who use too much strength. Some instructors would even say, "He isn't good. He uses too much power." In MMA, I think power, strength, speed and overall intensity are necessary, and are great to have and use. Why limit yourself to just using "technique" when you have physical attributes that can make your technique so much more effective. Doesn't it generally make sense that a technique that is properly executed faster, is more effective? It makes perfect sense to me. Yet, why do so many grapplers think this is bad? Okay. If a person solely relies on physical attributes and has no technique, relying on intensity is probably going to end badly. And yes, one can use too much power and get tired; but on a professional level, fighters are smart and experienced enough to control their intensity and adjust throughout a match. Also, world class fighters recognize that power, speed, and technique are the ideal combination.

Intensity is so important because not only does it allow you to physically dominate your opponent, but it also helps you break down your opponent's will--you want your opponent to think that he/she made a big mistake by stepping in the ring with you. So, don't forget about improving your physical attributes. Make sure you incorporate strength and conditioning programs to your regimen. "100% pure technique" no longer rings true. If you want to be at the top, you need to execute your techniques with as much intensity and speed as you can.

Tags: chicago, new breed, brazilian jiu jitsu, mixed martial arts, power, strength

Start of a New Week: Morning Sprints and Training with Jeff Glover

Conditioning

Because this is first blog post for PinoyMMA and this journal, I feel that I should give some background information, but knowing exactly where to start and what to write would be too time consuming. Training and school takes up a lot of time, and I also have been working on several business projects. So, I'm just going to jump right in and start this blog out with some thoughts on conditioning and a little segment about today's training.

You hear a lot of different theories and takes on conditioning and how to improve performance. In fact, there are so many methods it can be intimidating trying to learn about them and choosing one to stick with. I do think that everyone reacts differently and you never truly know what works for you until you try "it" - even if a noted authority tells you "it" will work. Based on my own training and conditioning experiences, my body reacts well to popular conditioning programs that are often given to other full contact athletes. Instead of providing a full fledged program right now, let me tell you what I did this morning and put it in context.

I divide my conditioning into periods. For instance, 2 months maybe devoted to building a foundation, then 2 months to improving speed, then 2 months to improving anaerobic endurance, etc. Right now, as I'm working to build back my anaerobic cardio, I'm in a "fundamental" endurance building stage. What I do, to start, is sprint up and down a "flight" of stairs for 1 minute straight, then I jog around for 2 minutes straight. Once I reach the 3 minute mark, I repeat the process for 4 more sets. 15 minutes. That's it.

Now, you might think that's too simple and it won't improve your cardio. If you run balls to the wall for that 1 minute, you will likely feel like your heart is going to explode after the third round. About the results, try it out for two weeks, and I guarantee you will feel a difference when you train. The key though is really pushing yourself. If you can't give it 100% the entire time, your results might differ.

Each week I adjust the intervals. The second week, I do stair for a 1 minute and 30 seconds, and jog for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then, I repeat the process. Depending on your conditioning, times will vary. You can increase your sprint intervals by only 10 seconds if that is all you can manage. Right now I am on my third week and I am sprinting 1 minute and 45 seconds and jogging 1 minute and 15. If your cardio doesn't permit you to jog, then just walk and try to work up to jogging.

The goal is to eventually sprint up and down a flight of stairs for 5 minutes with 1 minute of rest (jogging, preferably), either for 3 or 5 rounds. I am focused on conditioning myself for MMA, which explains the time scheme I'm using. Give it a try, and if you have any questions or comments, let me know. Feel free to leave a comment here or email me at mylesvives[at]pinoymma[dot]com.

Afternoon Rolling

This afternoon was the second time I got to roll with Jeff Glover. If you guys don't know him, he is one of the best grapplers out there. Jeff came to Undisputed at good time. Baret Yoshida, my brother Mike, Kong, and a few other guys normally train with one another in the afternoon. Jeff was in town again and wanted to roll. (He plans to drop by from time to time.)

Unlike the first time he visited, Baret and Jeff didn't get to roll because Baret is training for a Shooto fight on the 28th and hand to work some stand up. Jeff definitely has some sweet moves and great technique. He seems to have more of a quick, "flowing' style of grappling, in comparison to say, a tight, pressure orientated game. He's a friendly guy and if you have the chance to train with him, I recommend you do so.

I'd like to share something that Jeff mentioned while we were talking after rolling, which I think Pinoy fighters can gain some insight from. It's cross training. Not in styles (although that is important), but cross training with other people who you don't normally train with. Jeff believes that you can't stay in one place for too long, and he makes a lot of sense. If you are rolling with the same people over and over, try to mix it up. If you can't travel around or do not have access to other training partners, vary how you train. For instance, instead of free sparring, choose one aspect of your game that you want to work, and do so the entire time. You might choose to work the straight arm lock from the guard. The main lesson is to mix things up: you training partners, and the way you train. It's one of the fastest ways to get better.

Tags: jeff glover, baret yoshida, mixed martial arts, brazilian jiu jitsu, philippines